Category: Food

We were on the hunt for all you can eat (AYCE) buffets in town, and realized that most places are about $30 or more! So I scoured the internet so you don’t have to, looking for the most affordable AYCE in Kelowna. I reached out to our friend Brijesh from Made In India, and he invited us in to check out their daily lunch buffet from 11-2pm every day.

What to Expect?

We went to the Commerce Ave location which had lots of FREE parking. If you’re trying to beat the lunch rush, get there between 11-12pm. They had plenty of dishes to offer including rice, curries, pakora, a salad bar, chutneys and desserts. We managed to finish 2 plates each, dessert, and a mango lassi (of course!).

What Did We Try?

When it’s a buffet do you not just try a little but of everything? For me, the standout items were the onion pakora, butter chicken and PINK gulab jamun. Naan bread is also included! The onion pakora was like a bite sized onion flower that you get at fairs. They were crispy and with a little bit of sauce, outstanding. For the butter chicken, I’m plain and just think butter chicken is always good, BUT in my defense they won gold for best indian food in Kelowna. The pink gulab jamun was tasty on its own but really good in the kheer (a rice pudding of sorts). The kheer soaked up the excess syrup and helped mellow out the sweetness.

Final Thoughts

This was a great place for a lunch buffet! If you’re looking to take a larger group of people out for lunch and want to try something new I would highly recommend this all you can eat. They have two locations that offer buffet, Commerce Ave in Kelowna and Carrington Road in West Kelowna.

I hope you’re having the best time Discovering Kelowna and I can’t wait for you guys to check this spot out!

Here’s a great place to kick back with friends and co-workers after a long day of work! The Office Brewery is located in the downtown brewery district and is known for their cocktail flight and delicious share plates. They have a gorgeous bar and their own craft beers that are sure to impress.

What to Expect?

This baby is in the brewery district which means parking is scarce! We found spots along Vaughan Avenue, located right behind the restaurant which were free for a few hours. The space isn’t too big but it’s busy which really made it feel like your friendly neighborhood pub. The service was impecable and there were plenty of veggie friendly options on the menu!

What Did We Try?

We had a little bit of everything, and ALL veggie friendly items! For beverages we had the cocktail flight which included the Spicy Pineapple Margarita, Spiced Cider, Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut Shaft, and Fall Red Sangria, the In The Black – Black Raspberry Sour, and the Vacation Pay – Raspberry Wheat Ale. I have never considered myself a beer drinker but Maggie was spot on with her recommendation, and I found the something that I ended up absolutely loving! The Sour was amazing and she let us know that it’s a great way to ease into beers if you’re like myself.

For food, we had the Spicy Feta Dip, Spicy Halloumi Tacos, Mexican Perogies, and Burrito Bowl. I would say the spice on the dip, tacos, and bowl washed down perfectly with any of the beverages they were serving up. It was spicy but didn’t linger for too long which was nice. The tacos were very flavourful and the green sauce was *chefs kiss*. My favourite dish would have to be the perogies though! They were just the comfort food I was looking for on a chilly Autumn day.

Final Thoughts

My final thoughts on The Office Brewery are that the portions are fair for what they charge. Parking is not the gretest for the district in general, so it would be an awesome spot to bar hop or go on a brewery tour with a safe ride home! The cocktail flight is a unique offer that I would recommend if you’re looking for something different, and if you get in before they change up the flight, the Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut Shaft is BOMB. Huge thank you to Chris the owner and Maggie our server for having us and giving us an all-star experience! As always, I hope you guys are having the best time Discovering Kelowna 🤩

Looking for a great date night spot this week? Look no further than Gather. A delicious patron focused spot that offers Korean and Italian dishes. They are located downtown between the library and YMCA. This place has great portion sizes and a creative drink menu that is sure to leave you with a lasting impression.

What to Expect?

Gather is one of the few restaurants we’ve been to with a high standard of exceptional customer service. When seated you are given a side stool for your purse which is such a nice touch, especially for someone who normally just shoves her bag behind her on the seat. I’m always looking for the table hooks and always dissapointed. They start you off with a welcoming bite and sip to get things started. The sip is non-alcoholic and the bite is something small yet creative. Gather has won Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2023, so you can expect to see a curated selection of wines on their drink menu.

What Did We Try?

Something to note is that the dishes are not a fusion between Italian and Korean cousine. The dishes are seperate which lets you indulge in your favorite Italian or Korean comfort foods such as gnocchi alfredo or bibimbap. I’ve now been here a few times wich is why I can say it’s their standard of care that really sets them above the rest. The service is absolutely top notch here. My favorite dishes so far are the Fried Tofu and Gnocchi Alfredo.

My runner up choices are their Korean Beef Tacos and Salmon Wasabi. They are signature dishes on their menu which means they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. We loved the tacos. Anything carrying the tender juicy bulgolgi meat to our mouths is a winner. The salmon was artistfully presented and you can watch the chefs plate your meal with their open kitchen concept. Look at that plating! Absolutely stunning work.

Final Thoughts

My final thoughts are this restaurant goes above and beyond to leave a lasting impression on their patrons. It feels like you’re getting dinner and a show with the grand gestures such as the welcome bite, purse stool, and open kitchen. The menu doesn’t change too much between the seasons which makes this place a great staple restaurant. Anyone else cry a little when your ride or die menu item gets taken down? Have no fear, Gather will always be here. Hehehe.

As always I hope this post has helped you with Discovering Kelowna 🍽️

Looking for the perfect spot to be be boujee and wow your friends? The Ricco Room has decor that brings you straight to the tropics. Complete with swinging chairs and living plant decor covering the space, you’re sure to feel like you’ve been transported to a sweet escape.

What to Expect?

This little gem used to be a little winery with some questionable background history. With a much needed makeover from new owners, it’s now the talk of the city! Parking is available on the street but it’s location can make some parking spots more questionable being close to Leon. Prices are as mentioned above, BOUJEE. So don’t come here looking for $5 high balls babe, these are expertly crafted cocktails made to transport you to another space ✨

What Did We Try?

We had the Wild Prawn Ceviche, Alaskan King Crab Tostada, Gochujang Chicken Wings, Truffle Prime Rib Burger, and some delicious drinks. I will let you know that portions are small except for the burger and each dish was in the $20-25 range. I would recommend getting at least a few dishes to share and budgeting for about $60-75 per person. The dishes are good but the drinks are the real stars of the show.

Let’s start with absolutely gorgeous Fairy Godmother and the Wild Prawn Ceviche.

STUNNING. Drinks are all 2-3oz of liquid courage and so so good. They have lots of options, including mocktails and Rico Bambino wine. The Fairy Godmother cocktail came with a citrus smoke bubble that I couldn’t resist! After the first sip, I realized how dangerous this place was. Drinks that strong that taste so good? TAKE MY MONEY. The drink lists are extensive and sure to keep you coming back to try something new every time. The ceviche was missing the classic citrus flavours that normally acompanies the dish, which for us latinos was dissapointing. The toastada however, made up for it 10 times over! So much flavor in every bite, exactly what your staycation needs. The star of the show had to be the Truffle Prime Rib Burger served with kettle chips. It was juicy, filled with toppings, and had a fun switch up from the standard fries.

Final Thoughts

Our final thoughts on The Ricco Room are that the drinks and decor are worth it. The instagrammable moments in this restaurant are never ending. It is a bit pricier than other places but has a relaxed vibe. For me this is the perfect place to come right after the office to unwind with co-workers and friends. The price vs value for food is a hit or miss depending on what you order. We ended up leaving hungry but had just enough room to check out Amore Mio for some evening gelato. Win-win situation! As always, I hope this has helped you with your next Discovering Kelowna advenure!

There are few places in Kelowna that offer dim sum, but the city’s Asian cuisine is starting to come along. I had the pleasure of taking my whole family out for lunch at the newly opened Xing Yun, owned by Rich Tea. First thing to know about dim sum is you need to take people with you to order lots of different dishes!

What to Expect?

If you want to order the barbeque duck or peking duck, you need to order 2 days in advance. I highly recommend adding this baby onto your order if you want to get the whole experience! Between the twelve of us we ordered 20+ dishes and bubble tea, averaging to about $34 a person. There is lots of FREE parking availabe, and this resraurant has a drive through for takeout (WHAAT??!).

What Did We Try?

The list is long and delicious! Be warned, some dishes were eaten up too fast for a picture. Sorry in advance 🙈. We had the shrimp spring rolls, szechwan style popcorn chicken, chicken coconut laksa soup, salt & pepper squid, shrimp chow mein, house special fried rice, ginger beef, ginger chicken, ginger tofu, garlic stir fried gai lan, har gow, house sui mai, sticky rice, fried pork dumping, crispy sesame ball, chicken feet, BBQ por bun, beef chow flat noodle, green onion pancake, crispy pork intestines and of course the barbeque duck. PHEW! That’s a long list of food! We most definitely had left overs, making this a great place for cheap eats.

Dim sum in Kelowna is different than dim sum found in larger cities. There are no carts going around where you can pick off what you like. Everything is made to order and takes about 15 minutes to be delivered. The good news is that Xing Yun has a menu full of pictures, giving you a good sense of what you’re ordering. Some of my favourites include the ginger chicken and house sui mai! Please, if you’re coming with a large group come at the start of lunch service. Otherwise your wait time could be extended to 30 minutes for each round of orders during rush hour.

Final Thoughts?

Our final thoughts on Xing Yun are that it’s great value for the price. Even when it’s just the two of us, the portions are very generous so a few dishes go a long way. I would reccomend going with a larger group to share multiple dishes for the best experience. Although they are partnered with Rich Tea they only offer basic options instead of the full bubble tea menu. For our next visit we will try to save room for dessert and maybe even test out the drive through option! This is definetly a must add for your Discovering Kelowna list!